Black Saturday

Today is Black Saturday.  While I know that this is a time of both mourning Christ's death and waiting for His promised resurrection, I also know that this is the time He "descended into hell".  But why?  Was it just a formality to show that He actually died?  Perhaps.  But I felt like I was missing something.  As it is a bit late to knock on my Papa's (who is a catechist) door and I couldn't find my Catechism book, I decided to research on the internet (thank heavens for Google!).

Apparently, Jesus went to hell because that is where all the souls (good and bad) were.  He went to pick up all the holy souls that came before Him and finally brought them home to Heaven.  Oh, and he also did a bit of preaching there.  He did not leave any stone unturned. How cool is that?!

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

633 Scripture calls the abode of the dead, to which the dead Christ went down, “hell” - Sheol in Hebrew or Hades in Greek - because those who are there are deprived of the vision of God.

Such is the case for all the dead, whether evil or righteous, while they await the Redeemer: which does not mean that their lot is identical, as Jesus shows through the parable of the poor man Lazarus who was received into “Abraham's bosom”:

“It is precisely these holy souls, who awaited their Saviour in Abraham's bosom, whom Christ the Lord delivered when he descended into hell.”

Jesus did not descend into hell to deliver the damned, nor to destroy the hell of damnation, but to free the just who had gone before him.

634 “The gospel was preached even to the dead.” The descent into hell brings the Gospel message of salvation to complete fulfillment.

This is the last phase of Jesus' messianic mission, a phase which is condensed in time but vast in its real significance: the spread of Christ's redemptive work to all men of all times and all places, for all who are saved have been made sharers in the redemption.

The author also talked about the liturgical rites / ceremonies and the significance of each part.  Find out more here:  12 Things You Need to Know About Holy Saturday 

Art By:  Rovi Salegumba

In the dark of night 

We wait for You

Hearts heavy with sorrow

Mingled with joyful anticipation.

In the dark of night

We speak of You

Of the Messiah long foretold

That walked amongst us.

Then, in the dark of night

We see You

Our hearts rejoicing

Your resplendent New Dawn breaking

Alleluia!